Sunday letters

Khushwant Singh's praise for Arundhati Roy for standing up for the Maoists and Kashmiri separatists will have very few buyers in India as both are enemies of peace and development (In defence of Arundhati Roy and her activism, With Malice Towards One and All, December 19).

indiaUpdated: Dec 25, 2010 23:04 IST

Hindustan Times

Arundhati Roy is not promoting causes but hogging publicity Khushwant Singh's praise for Arundhati Roy for standing up for the Maoists and Kashmiri separatists will have very few buyers in India as both are enemies of peace and development (In defence of Arundhati Roy and her activism, With Malice Towards One and All, December 19). All Indians have the right to protest peacefully, but no one has the right to resort to arms to get one's demands accepted. India has been spending millions of rupees to subsidise Jammu & Kashmir economy, but the separatists still dance to the tune of Pakistan. As for the Maoists, they are guilty of killing innocent people. Roy suffers from intellectual arrogance and will go to any extent to hog publicity.RJ Khurana, Bhopal

IISingh rightly points out that framing of sedition charges against Roy would result in giving her further publicity. There is no dearth of such self-claimed protectors of human rights in the country who think that it is their prerogative to give unsolicited advice on national issues. But the government should keep in mind that letting them off would only encourage them. As far as raising issues pertaining to tribal people is concerned, it is also a gimmick for gaining popularity. Presenting India's backwardness to the West is a ploy often used by people who have not achieved much but want to hog the limelight.Rakesh Sherewat, via email

Punish the guilty but recover the lootWith reference to Manas Chakravarty's article Annus Scandalous (Loose Canon, December 19), the media has been exposing innumerable scams and scandals for several months. The phenomenon of corruption has become a social nuisance across the country. Only punishing the guilty is not the end of the story. We must recover the public fund that is embezzled.Shreebhagawati Prakash, Purnea

A smart diversionWith reference to Indrajit Hazra's article Talk to the hand (Red Herring, December 19), it would have been far better if Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi himself clarified his stand on radicalised Hindu groups rather than hiding behind his so-called spokespersons. His identification of terrorists with particular Hindu groups is a shame. In fact, the conversation between him and US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer is a good ruse to divert the real and pressing issues at hand. Bal Govind, Noida

IITerrorism does not have any religion and trying to divide people on the basis of religion is a dangerous trend that threatens the country. It is true that many Hindu organisations are engaged in spreading hatred rather than fighting cross-border terrorism. Citizens should be wary of such groups and not be misled by their demagoguery.Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai

The media's messageKaran Thapar in The Radia legacy (Sunday Sentiments, December 19) is right that doubts cannot be cast aside. But he seems to be in two minds, whether to say ‘yes' to the story leaked by the Radia tapes or ‘no” to the involvement of journalists. It is correct that journalism depends on information given or leaked but we cannot deny that there was a molehill out of which a mountain has now been made.GK Arora, Delhi

IIThough the media today is in a competitive mode. they are not exempt from ethics. Niira Radia, the seductive lobbyist with her charm and skill, is only one convenient cog in the wheel of corruption, helped by other benefactors, who remain hidden.BM Singh, via email

A breach of ethicsAakar Patel's article None of your business (Sunday Guest Column, December 19) was an interesting analysis of leaked tapes and the controversies surrounding them. While it is outrageous that the government is tapping private phone calls, it must reveal the role of corporates and lobbyists in the 2G scam. The writer insults our intelligence by trying to hoodwink the public into accepting the corporate establishment's view that the real issue is a breach of privacy and not the wholesale breach of propriety.Nachiket Joshi, via email

A true role modelThis has reference to Nagendar Sharma's article The man who put Raja in the dock (December 19). Veteran lawyer Prashant Bhushan deserves applause from every citizen in this country for his role in exposing a corrupt politician.Subhash Agrawal, Delhi.